With the Toronto Argonauts’ last-second win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday night, the Eskimos have clinched a playoff spot.

Friday’s game, along with Saturday’s Saskatchewan Roughriders–B.C. Lions game, will paint the rest of the playoff picture. An Edmonton win and a Saskatchewan loss would bump Edmonton into third in the West Division, setting them up for a playoff game in Calgary next week. An Eskimos loss or a Riders win would send Edmonton in as the crossover team in the East Division, where they’d face Ricky Ray and the Argos.

QB Tate returns

With second place in the CFL West Division locked up, the Stampeders are starting Drew Tate at quarterback.

Tate hasn’t started since Week 2, when he separated his non-throwing shoulder against the Argonauts. Tate took his first snaps last week in Calgary’s blowout win over B.C. He was five-of-seven for 68 yards and had one touchdown. Kevin Glenn, who has taken over starting duties this season, will play the second half, with third-stringer Bo Levi Mitchell potentially drawing in, the Stampeders say.

Reinforcements in tow

The final game of the regular-season schedule will allow some key Calgary players the chance to rest before their playoff battle in Vancouver next week.

Slotback Nik Lewis will not play on Friday, nor will receiver Anthony Parker. Former Eskimo Chris Bauman is expected to fill in for Parker.

Key injuries

Defensive back Rod Williams (concussion) will miss his first game of the season this week. Pete Ittersagen gets to make his CFL debut in Williams’ place.

Offensive lineman Orrin Thompson has hurt both of his knees and will also miss his first game of the season. The Eskimos have placed their tackle on the nine-game injured list, bringing his season to an end. Rookie Matt O’Donnell goes in at right tackle for his first CFL start. Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon is out of the lineup this week to make room for the actual return of DE Marcus Howard, who was a last-minute scratch on Sunday in Montreal. Howard has missed the majority of the season (11 games) with a hamstring injury.

Player(s) to watch

Kerry Joseph/Matt Nichols Eskimos QBs

Joseph has struggled the last two weeks (16 of 43 passing, 262 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) and Matt Nichols shone in a furious 10-minute rally attempt against Montreal on Sunday.

If Joseph isn’t producing against Calgary — and especially with the pressures of a playoff game removed thanks to Hamilton’s loss on Thursday night — Nichols should get into the game quickly. The majority of Nichols’ playing time has come against Calgary this year. He started and played the first half of a pre-season game there on June 15 and got his first regular-season CFL start there on Sept. 28 in a 39-15 loss.

Quotable

“What’s the score?”

— Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel, on whether or not he’d take tailback Jon Cornish out of the game if he set the single-season CFL record for rushing yards on Friday. Cornish needs 50 yards to top Eskimos legend Norman Kwong’s 56-year-old record of 1,437 yards.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Saskatoon loves its Christmas lights. The Enchanted Forest draws thousands of vehicles each week. The late Bob Hinitt worked for months building his light display, which drew thousands of cars each year to Wiggins Avenue. And Scott Lambie on Clinkskill Drive has continued the tradition with more than 70,000 dancing lights (up from 50,000 last […]

When it comes to gift giving, they say it’s the thought that counts. But many are wondering if Mayor Drew Dilkens was thinking at all when he gave Olympic superstar Michael Phelps — whose battles with booze are well known — a big bottle of Canadian Club whisky.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.